Ohio State Football Receives Major Praise for Key Transfer Portal Addition

The transfer portal is virtually free agency for college athletics, and the Ohio State Buckeyes have consistently been active in it, bringing in numerous impact players over the last few seasons.

Seth McLaughlin and Caleb Downs both joined the Buckeyes last season and helped the team make a national championship run. This season, Max Klare is the impact transfer to watch. He's going to be the Buckeyes starting tight end, and with Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith on the roster, he should see tons of one-on-one options.

He's faster than linebackers and has size on cornerbacks, possessing a versatile weapon for Julian Sayin, the team's likely starting quarterback. Klare spent three seasons at Purdue, and he went for 685 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns a season ago, having been one of the Boilermakers' go-to offensive weapons.

ESPN's Max Olson dove into the top transfer portal players to keep an eye on, and Klare was ranked No. 10. John Mateer, the Oklahoma Sooners starting quarterback, topped the list.

"The Buckeyes' passing attack didn't need any extra help going into 2025 with the star power the team returns at wide receiver, but Klare could end up being a sneaky great addition. The Purdue transfer ranked fourth among all Power 4 tight ends with a team-high 685 receiving yards on 51 receptions last season and should be a dependable target for the Buckeyes' inexperienced QBs," Olson wrote.

The Buckeyes will see Texas, Penn State, Michigan and several other programs with elite defenses, so having a weapon like Klare is going to be impactful for the Brian Hartline-led offense. He's going to be the safety blanket for Sayin, especially with his massive catch radius.

Ohio State needed experience at the position, and it got just that with Klare. Now, it is going to have to figure out how to best incorporate his skill set into an already dynamic offense, one with a few of the best receivers in the country. That'll be Hartline's homework as the season continues to inch closer. The Buckeyes' first game in the 2025 season will be against the Longhorns on August 30 at Ohio Stadium.